RU2607992C2 - Tools operation monitoring system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: control equipment.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to tool equipment operation control devices. In device, system and method providing displaying data on tool device or female die or information on other tool device or process on graphical user interface. Data on tool device performing reciprocating movements, are displayed by means of monitoring device placement in part of tool device, wherein monitoring device records data from tool device and transmits for subsequent storage in remote data storage unit as stored data on tool device. Tool device stored data are processed and then displayed, for example, in web page window.

EFFECT: technical result consists in improvement of monitored data accuracy.

21 cl, 14 dwg

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a system or device and a process or method for accessing data or information with or about a manufacturing or stamping tool, such as an injection molding or stamping mold, and for transmitting the received data or information to network equipment or a system that calculates and / or processes data or information and transmits the required results to a display device that can be viewed, according to the assigned rights, of course by the user.

DISCUSSION OF THE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Companies that currently work with injection molds and die stamping tools use well-known systems designed to track their tools, such as physical (manual) logs and files. Other companies use proprietary systems, for example, obtained through the use of a traditional spreadsheet application, such as Microsoft® Excel®, or a system developed in the Microsoft® Access® application or obtained through the use of this application. As for the information on tools, some companies use a process control system that can be endowed with some functionality for storing data on tools, while some companies can use an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system that can manage assets. for example, assets associated with tools.

Physical (manual) logs are still commonly used to store information about tools. Some companies may use in-house systems for internal use, some of which may be electronic, but in-house systems for internal use are often not developed to the right extent, as a result of which they can only generate basic reports. Process control systems, such as IQMS, Mattec, etc., as well as ERP systems, such as PlantStar, SAP, etc., do not effectively manage the functioning or planning of preventive maintenance (PM) tools. Traditional systems do not interact and do not communicate with each other to collectivize information about tools, it is only possible to bind information about the molding machine. However, some traditional systems, such as those described on ProFileCV.com and through MoldTrax, satisfy some of the needs of the tool industry.

Regardless of how the tool information is managed within the manufacturing company, the tool information is often confidential or service information for the OEM or OEM, and often contains information and / or data that is otherwise not available for the public, in particular for any person outside the manufacturing company. For example, a tool assembly or tool company can develop and assemble a tool, and can also create tool drawings, and the manufacturing company can create and transfer parts to the OEM. For example, in some cases, the manufacturing company is deprived of the ability to locate the drawings of the tool to replace the broken component of the tool, while the manufacturing company is subjected to downtime. In some cases, the production cycles of the actual productivity of the tool are not disclosed or transferred from the manufacturing plant to the OEM to not demonstrate the profitability of the OEM's customer. In addition, the lack of timely reporting can lead to the inability to control the proper preventive maintenance (RM), and, consequently, to the forced downtime of the tool. Any forced downtime of the tool can affect the supply chain of the owner or manufacturer of the OEM, and therefore adversely affect the delivery of the final product of the OEM to the market.

Information about the tool, such as drawings or revisions, as well as information regarding actual performance during operation and maintenance, is often not currently disclosed or blocked at various locations in the supplier and, therefore, is not easily accessible to decision makers in the field of businesses such as tool managers who work for OEMs. Oddly enough, about 30-40 years ago, an OEM, a manufacturing company, and a tool manufacturer shared a lot of information about tools and, therefore, had a greater relationship than today, even taking into account modern technologies related to computing and establishing links, which in some cases are associated with the global supply chain, which is available around the world, as well as current trends in reducing the technical staff of OEMs and manufacturers voklassnyh companies.

The technical result of the claimed group of inventions is to provide remote access to data or information from the mold, ensuring the transfer of received data or information to network equipment or a system that calculates and / or processes data or information and transfers the required results to the display device for viewing by the end by user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In some embodiments, in accordance with the present invention, the control device is mounted on or relative to the injection mold, for example, in accordance with a method that a manufacturing facility uses to create manufacturing parts. The monitoring device in accordance with the present invention may use a cable, wire or other suitable hardware component, for example, with a USB port, and / or may use any wireless communication system to transmit and / or receive software and / or data from the device exercise control. Data taken or extracted from the monitoring device can be used to convert the data sequence into a report and / or any other suitable set of information that can be stored on the storage device as a PDF file and / or any other suitable electronic file.

In some embodiments of the present invention, reports, data and / or other information related to the operation of the tools in a particular company are manually and / or automatically stored on a storage device, such as a public network disk drive, or other similar device. For example, in some embodiments of the present invention, such reports, data, and / or other information that can be transmitted and / or copied to an FTP site (FTP file transfer protocol) is accessible or achievable for the manufacturing company of an OEM customer. For example, in accordance with the present invention, an OEM located in England can verify that his manufacturing company operating in Thailand produces the required number of parts within the specified time frames and can also verify that the production cycles and / or technical Maintenance of the tool is in accordance with the plan.

In some embodiments, a monitoring device in accordance with the present invention can be used to overcome or eliminate the need for traditional methods for accessing or collecting reports, data and / or other information from a working tool located at a remote location, such as may include periodic physical movements of a person to a tool located at a remote location, and the collection of reports x and / or other information. At a remote location, or even in the case of transporting the tool to the maintenance workshop, the monitoring device of the present invention can be connected to the device and / or software for transmitting reports, data and / or other information.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the monitoring device comprises or stores in the memory of the monitoring device a unique identifier, such as a device identification number (ID), which, for example, may be similar to a vehicle identification number or VIN number. The unique identifier or number, in accordance with the present invention, can be identified electronically and / or identified in another traditional way, such as laser engraving on the front of the control device in the form of "URL / serial number", for example, as mentioned at " CVeMonitor.com/OGZ0011 ”, so that a specific cell of the database record can contain information, including drawings of the tool, production setup cards, reports on the performed maintenance work residence and the like, for the tool, which is mounted on a monitoring apparatus.

In some embodiments of the present invention, although the trigger functions to “link” the OEM with the productivity of the tool, some non-automated aspects may also be developed and / or automated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Distinctive features of the present invention will be described in more detail in the following description, in particular, taking into account the drawings, which depict the following:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a monitoring device for a monitoring device mounted relative to a tool that is forming or stamping, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a system illustrating the features of a device and process, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a screen shot or a toolbar window showing an example of a plurality of different parameters available for viewing on a screen, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a system that includes a screen shot or window and illustrates features of a device, process, or method, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a screenshot or window showing a summary report illustrating various operational parameters associated with a tool in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a screen shot or window displaying information related to various operational parameters of a tool in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a screenshot or window displaying information related to various operational parameters of a tool in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a screenshot or window displaying information related to various operational parameters of a tool in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a screenshot or window showing information related to various operational parameters of a tool in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a screen shot or window showing summary information related to operational parameters of a tool in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of a base station with a cover installed and removed, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of a transmitter with a cover installed and removed, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of an injection molding process method, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 14 is a screenshot or window displaying information about various operational parameters of a tool in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 depicts one embodiment of a monitoring device 20, in accordance with the present invention. The terms "monitoring device" and "monitoring device", which are used throughout this description and in the claims, are intended to be mutually replaceable, and refer to a monitoring device or other similar device or device that counts cycles and / or tracks other operational parameters and / or data related to or relevant to the manufacturing process, such as injection molding process. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0316180 A1, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, describes various embodiments of tool condition monitoring devices that can be used, for example, as monitoring device 20 of the present invention.

The terms “tool”, “mold”, “stamping tool”, “matrix”, “stamping tool matrix”, “injection molding matrix”, “reciprocating tool”, “tool”, and / or any other similar term known to specialists in this field of technology, are used in the present description and in the claims, as for mutual substitution of each other and refer to any device, device and / or system that creates, produces or leads otherwise, to obtain a part, such as a manufactured part, which, inter alia, includes a part manufactured, manufactured or otherwise obtained as a result of relative movement between two devices, devices and / or systems. For example, relative movement between two devices, devices and / or systems can be achieved by using any suitable molding method, which includes, but not limited to, injection molding, compression molding, injection molding, vacuum molding, blow molding, and air molding / or any other similar type of molding known to those skilled in the art.

FIG. 1 depicts a control device 20 mounted directly on a tool mold half 52. The monitoring device 20 may have any other suitable connection, fixation, fastening, shape and / or dimensions, and at the same time perform the function of engaging and counting cycles of the tool 50 and / or collecting other data or information on the operational parameters of the tool 50. B in some embodiments of the present invention, the end user of the tool 50 may select a particular design, style, and / or model of a monitoring device 20.

In some embodiments, in accordance with the present invention, the monitoring device 20 comprises a transmitter 32, such as the transmitter depicted in FIG. 12. In certain embodiments of the present invention, the transmitter 32 is relatively small or has other appropriate dimensions, allowing the transmitter 32 to be mounted on top of the tool or die press 34, as shown in FIG. 2. In some embodiments of the present invention, a cable 33 and / or any other suitable connecting wire may be used to support connection and / or communication with a monitoring device 20, a tool and / or a stamping press to collect additional current data. A plurality of transmitters 32 may be installed or otherwise placed within or across all manufacturing equipment or an enterprise, and may also transmit, emit, send, or otherwise forward a signal to a base station 30, such as the base station shown in FIG. 11, which may be installed or located at a local, central and / or remote position or location within the enterprise. In some embodiments of the present invention, the transmitter 32 may be supplemented or replaced with any other suitable device that can be used to transmit signals using a wired and / or wireless connection.

As shown in FIG. 2, in some embodiments of the present invention, the monitoring device 20 can transmit the output directly to the cloud 35, processor 40, window 45 and / or to any other device, system and / or element that can display information.

In some embodiments of the present invention, an improved version of the control device 20 may be suitable for the conditions of the die matrix tool. In addition, the control device 20 of the present invention can be applied to other technologies for using tools such as hot blow molding, extrusion molding and the like. Enterprises and / or injection molding environments may require the use of a significantly different method, for example, mechanical or mechanical labeling with a signal generator is possible, before or in front of the transmitter 32.

In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, the base station 30 transmits, transmits and / or sends a signal to a local and / or remote processor and / or data processing station, such as a computer, processor, or other similar processing and / or transmission device, which, inter alia, includes “ The Cloud ”(eng. - The cloud). The cloud can be any suitable network equipment, such as complex network equipment, for example, containing systems that allow the cloud to calculate the ability to use suitable remote services with specific data, software, and / or user computing to transmit. In some embodiments of the present invention, the base station 30 and / or the transmitter 32 is not connected to a computer, processor, PC, or other similar processing and / or transmission device, and may also not be connected to the network of the processing enterprise, but can transmit information by wire and / or wirelessly directly to the cloud and / or to any other device, system and / or element that can display information.

As shown in FIG. 2, the cloud 35 and / or other similar systems infrastructure can continuously, continuously and / or periodically receive information from all running or working tools, each of which is endowed with the function of sending data to the cloud 35, such as, for example, through the base station 30 to the corresponding Moments and / or time intervals, for example, every 10 seconds. Although in some embodiments, the data sequence itself may be relatively small, for example, occupying approximately 15 regions, in total, over a period of time, a huge amount of data can be transmitted or received to the cloud 35.

As shown in FIG. 2, in a system in accordance with the present invention, a client, such as an OEM, can monitor or monitor production activities without physically being at the location of each monitoring device 20. For example, an OEM may have several different tools 50 operating in from different locations around the world, and without moving to every location, the OEM can monitor operational parameters and other operating conditions from the center location, which can help the OEM to be confident in scheduled maintenance and to use this information to verify that the final products are on the market.

As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 20 has a cable 33 that connects between the transmitter 32 and the control device 20 and is designed to form an electrical connection between the control device and / or press 20 and the transmitter 32. In other embodiments, in accordance with the present invention, the cable 33 may be supplemented or replaced by any other suitable wired and / or wireless connection. For example, for the wireless transmission of information between the monitoring device 20, the transmitter 32 and / or the base station 30, Bluetooth technology or any similar protocol can be used.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the monitoring device 20 transmits operating information about the tool 50. For example, US Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0316180 A1 describes some of the distinguishing features of the monitoring device 20 in accordance with the present invention, the monitoring device 20 being not limited thereto. these hallmarks, and may have other and / or various hallmarks that are suitable for a particular manufacturing sector.

As shown in FIG. 2, in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, data or other information is sent and / or transmitted to the transmitter 32, for example, at certain time periods or during periodic time intervals. In some embodiments, in accordance with the present invention, each monitoring device 20 has a corresponding transmitter 32 locally located in a portion of the corresponding monitoring device 20. In other embodiments, in accordance with the present invention, a plurality of monitoring devices 20 can correspond to one transmitter 32. Many manufacturing enterprises have several, sometimes even hundreds of tool machines operating in one structure or system.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the transmitter 32 sends or otherwise transmits data or other information to the base station 30. As shown in FIG. 2, there is only one base station 30. However, in other embodiments of the present invention, the system may comprise two or more base stations 30 located throughout the enterprise. As shown in FIG. 2, data or other information is transmitted wirelessly from each transmitter 32 to a respective base station 30. In other embodiments of the present invention, instead of or in addition to the wireless communication line shown in FIG. 2, any suitable wired connection may be used.

As shown in FIG. 2, each base station 30, which in some embodiments may be a gateway, transmits data or other information from the base station 30 to the cloud 35. In some embodiments, the cloud 35 may subsequently forward or otherwise transmit data or other information to processor 40. For example, processor 40 may convert, calculate, sum, perform arithmetic and / or any other mathematical functions and / or algorithms for data or other information, as well as receive and / or calculate various parameters that can be transmitted and displayed in window 45. In some embodiments of the present invention, window 45 displays the processed data about the tool as a desired result on the graphical user interface, while window 45 belongs to the device, which is located and / or is in a remote location relative to the monitoring device 20.

The terms "window", "dashboard", "graphical user interface", "display", "window of the list of tools", "personal computer", "tablet device", "tablet", "telephone device", "telephone" and / or any other similar term known to specialists in this field of technology, which are universally used in the present description and in the claims, are intended to mutually replace each other and refer to any device, device and / or system that provides the user with st bind and / or interact with any suitable electronic device or other type of device that uses and / or displays an image.

In some embodiments of the present invention, window 45 interacts with a processor 40 and / or any other suitable data processing device and / or memory device that can be used to enable the user to search and / or display any suitable stored information, such as a PDF file and / or any other suitable electronic file and / or other file used to access and / or provide information or other data, which, inter alia, include tool drawings, setup cards, maintenance instructions, diagrams, and / or any other similar information or other data known to those skilled in the art.

In some embodiments of the present invention, processor 40 comprises any suitable hardware and / or software that can receive or receive volumes of data or other information, as well as calculate and / or process data or other information into desired results and / or products by using any one or more algorithms and / or functions, such as mathematical functions, arithmetic functions, and / or any other technical functions necessary to send or issue the required cut tata or results that may be subsequently processed and / or displayed as the final result or conclusion. In some embodiments of the present invention, the desired result, final result and / or conclusion may be sent or otherwise transmitted to window 45 so that the end user can view information transmitted through the monitoring device 20, which contains, for example, operational information and / or other technical information regarding tool 50.

Depending on the specific information and / or other technical information transmitted by the monitoring device 20, in accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, various types of users or end users are interested in being able to view or receive specific information and / or summary information about the tool 50 , for example, which is transmitted by a monitoring device 20. In some embodiments of the present invention, the user or the end user may be the owner, such as an OEM, a manufacturing company, and / or a tool manufacturer.

The terms "owner", "manufacturer of integrated equipment (OEM manufacturer)", "enterprise-subcontractor" and / or any other similar term known to specialists in this field of technology, which are universally used in the present description and in the claims, are intended for mutual replacement each other and relate to any entity that produces and / or sells goods on the market.

In some embodiments of the present invention, an OEM or other owner purchases or acquires a tool 50 and, therefore, typically masters the tool and related tool information. Therefore, in some embodiments, in accordance with the present invention, the owner accesses and, therefore, views or reads all information, including technical and / or operational information, about each tool 50 belonging to the owner, for example, which may be transmitted through the control device 20 of the present invention.

In some embodiments of the present invention, by displaying data, information and / or desired results through window 45, the owner can view detailed reports and / or summary reports. For example, the desired results displayed through window 45 may include: a list of all monitoring devices 20 and, therefore, owner tools 50; many different groups of products that have been injection molded in each tool 50; the specific location of each monitoring device 20 and therefore the tool 50; operational reports, which may include production cycles, short-term periods of operation, long-term periods of operation, duration of periods of operation, and / or any other suitable operational parameter; press data such as pressure and molding parameters; technical information about the tool 50 and / or any other suitable part or component of the tool 50; and the information necessary to make decisions on conducting preventive maintenance and taking measures for preventive maintenance. In some embodiments of the present invention, window 45 is passive, while it exclusively provides information to the end user. In other embodiments of the present invention, window 45 is both passive and active, and therefore, in addition to providing information, also provides the end user with the ability to enter commands for managing information and / or transmitting orders through window 45.

The terms "molding company", "manufacturing enterprise" and / or any other similar term known to specialists in this field of technology, which are universally used in the present description and in the claims, are intended to replace each other and relate to any object that produces , manufactures and / or sells parts and / or units, for example, to an OEM manufacturer or other owner.

In some embodiments, implementation, in accordance with the present invention, the user or end user is called a manufacturing company, which, for example, may be a company or another party that injection molding or stamping of specific products or parts, usually for the owner or manufacturer of the OEM. In some embodiments of the present invention, the manufacturing company may have access to the same information as the OEM manufacturer, while the tool manufacturer may have less or more limited access to the same information as the OEM manufacturer. For example, an OEM may object to a tool manufacturer having access to any proprietary or confidential information or process data, but may also want a tool manufacturer to have access to PM maintenance information. In some embodiments, in accordance with the present invention, the manufacturing company may be able to view through window 45 information including: operational data for a particular tool 50; operational data and / or performance data for each tool 50 at the manufacturing site of the manufacturing enterprise; technical data, such as production cards and / or other documents related to a specific tool 50; technical drawings and / or other technical information about a specific tool 50; and data or other information that pertains to routine maintenance of each tool 50 located at the manufacturing site of the manufacturing facility.

The terms "manufacturer of presses", "manufacturer of tools", and / or any other similar term known to specialists in this field of technology, which are universally used in the present description and in the claims, are intended for mutual replacement of each other and refer to any object that develops, assembles and / or supplies presses or tools that are used to create and / or manufacture parts and / or units, for example, for an OEM manufacturer or other owner.

In some embodiments, implementation, in accordance with the present invention, the user or end user is called a manufacturer of tools, which, for example, may be a company or other party that develops and / or assemblies tools or parts for presses and, as a rule, supplies a tool or parts of a tool to an owner, such as an OEM, or a manufacturing company that has contractual or other workers spruce relationship with the owner. In some embodiments of the present invention, the tool manufacturer may have access to the same information or desired results as the owner and / or processing facility, while also may have less or more limited access to the same information or required results as and the owner and / or manufacturing company. For example, the owner may be opposed to the tool manufacturer having access to any proprietary or confidential information. In some embodiments, in accordance with the present invention, the processing company may be able to view through window 45 information including: data and / or information necessary to install and / or activate the monitoring device 20 of the present invention, such as installed on a particular tool 50; technical data, such as production cards and / or other documents related to a particular tool 50, in particular, which would enable the tool manufacturer to understand the requirements of the owner so that the tool manufacturer can design and assemble a specific tool 50.

Since various users or end users who view and / or supply or provide information, such as information displayed through window 45, may have different roles associated with each tool 50, different users or end users may have different levels of protection to implement checks before accessing any available information, such as information displayed through window 45. In some embodiments, in accordance with the present invention, each Single different roles may require that different password and / or other security checks before access or control access to data, information and / or results such as shown through a window 45 provided in accordance with the apparatus and method or process of the present invention.

FIG. 3 depicts one embodiment of data, information, and / or results available through a window 45, which may be referred to as a dashboard or dashboard window. In some embodiments of the present invention, the OEM has access to all of the information displayed on the dashboard window 45. In some embodiments, a toolbar depicts all or any selected group or part of tools, for example, that work for a respective OEM in one or more locations and can be located in any particular country or distributed around the world. In some embodiments, implementation, in accordance with the present invention, the OEM may act as an administrator, for example, to control what information to provide to any other user and / or to control providing any other user with access to any part or all of the data, information and / or results.

As shown in FIG. 3, in some embodiments of the present invention, region 46 of window 45 may be used to display statistics or other global or summary information, for example, to provide the end user with a quick link to the summary information. For example, any global or summary information may include the number of molds located in a particular database, the number of tools 50 launched at one specific time or period of time, information sent to the cloud 35, the number of processing enterprises, the number of administrators, the number of managers, other information from the database used to store information about any one or more tools 50, and / or information about the number of tools 50 operating or inactive.

As shown in FIG. 3, in some embodiments of the present invention, window 49 area 49 can be used to display any type of warning and / or alarm to control and / or support any one or more tools 50. For example, if the tool 50 is in one and If the locations are started at a certain percentage above the intended production cycle, then the end user, such as the owner or manufacturer of the OEM, can be transferred or otherwise sent to revocation and / or warning. FIG. 8 depicts one embodiment of a window 60 that may be used to display alarms and / or warnings. In some embodiments of the present invention, an alarm and / or warning may be provided at the time either to the appropriate or late to conduct maintenance, such as any preventative maintenance activities.

In various embodiments of the present invention, hyperlinks may be used in any one or more of the windows 45, 55, 56, and / or 60 to enable the end user to see additional information and / or levels of detail.

In some embodiments of the present invention, such as the embodiment of FIG. 3, the region 46 of window 45 may display a list of tools, for example, illustrating any one or more tools 50 that the owner has launched or activated in enterprises around the world. FIG. 5 depicts one embodiment of a window 56, for example, which may be an element of a window 45 and displays information entered in an automatic and / or manual mode, for example, identification information of a manufacturing company, identification information of a tool manufacturer, identification information of an owner, information about the geographical location of a tool means and / or any other suitable information required by the owner.

In some embodiments of the present invention, such as the embodiment of FIG. 3, the region 47 of window 45 can display any one or more different authorized operational parameters. For example, region 47 depicted in FIG. 3, displays a graph of production cycles for a given period of time. For example, in some embodiments of the present invention, after selecting a particular operational parameter and / or data, any one or more of several different types of reports can be generated, displayed, recorded and / or printed. FIG. 6 depicts a window 55 that can be generated, in accordance with the system and process of the present invention, to display the results in another way.

In certain embodiments, in accordance with the present invention, the end user may select to display, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, one or more tools 50 in the form of data or other information transmitted through monitoring devices 20. The system and process of the present invention can be used to group two or more tools 50, for example, to group tools 50 used to make a product, such as a bowl with mating parts. Subsequently, the end user can analyze various performance and operational parameters of various tools 50. In particular, this type of analysis can be useful to the end user who is trying to complete the work or meet the deadlines for completing the manufacture of the product, or to evaluate the optimal moments for the execution of programs preventive maintenance for each tool 50 and / or for any component of the tool 50 th means.

In various embodiments, in accordance with the present invention, window 45 may be configured in any suitable manner. For example, window 45 may be configured in the manner shown in FIG. 3, and / or may be rearranged differently, added, deleted and / or modified to provide similar and / or excellent information that can be displayed, for example, through window 45 and / or another suitable display device.

As shown in FIG. 3, in some embodiments of the present invention, the area 51 of the window 45 can be used to display a tracking system for operation, for example, to provide the current status of actions, for example, related to the database. Also, as shown in FIG. 3, in some embodiments of the present invention, window region 52 of window 45 may be used to provide alarms and / or notifications, which, inter alia, include activities related to the tool industry.

As shown in FIG. 3, in some embodiments, the region 53 of window 45 may be used to display information related to a tool library, for example, which may contain descriptions and / or drawings associated with a particular tool and / or tool 50.

An OEM or other end user can select various operating parameters to display any level of detail required, such as a full-report and / or final report. The method and system of the present invention can be used to effectively provide the OEM manufacturer or other end user with the ability to control or monitor information about one or more OEM manufacturers without physically moving to each factory. For example, an OEM may subsequently make informed business decisions to monitor production, monitor routine maintenance and / or monitor the performance of its manufacturing facilities.

The Progressive International Components Corporation, located in Wauconda, Illinois, has been selling the traditional mechanical counter under the CounterView® brand for many years, which has become a widely used counter designed to monitor injection mold performance. The monitoring device 20 of the present invention, in some embodiments, contains materials and / or has dimensions that are compatible with the CounterView® counter and can be secured within the same machine pocket or cavity. However, the control device 20, in accordance with the present invention, can obtain data and acquire much more information about the injection molding mold and its actions by examining the data and information about the operational parameters of the tool, and subsequently, for example, plan or forecast sales devices like the monitoring device 20 of the present invention.

A cloud 35 or any other suitable storage device and / or system infrastructure may receive transmitted data from the monitoring device 20 of the present invention, for example, every 10 seconds or at any other suitable time period, may store or hold data and subsequently may transmit, release or send data, for example 24 selected data sequences every hour or another specified period of time.

In some embodiments, implementation, in accordance with the present invention, the device and / or location, for example, to which data is transmitted, sent and / or sent, may be CVeMonitor.com or any other suitable address or location. In some embodiments of the present invention, the database record contains information about the tool, and this database record can be the destination for data that contains a certain period of time, such as 24 hours or any other suitable period of time the tool runs. For example, when a user enters the database of a particular tool, the user can select an electronic file or any other suitable file, such as a “database section file” that contains a category of information required or sought.

In principle, any suitable data sequence, such as a data sequence of 24 × 15 fields, can be located within a specific folder, memory, and / or other storage device. Then, after user selection, the data sequence or other stored information can be converted, for example, mathematically or using any suitable algorithm into a visual report, such as a PDF report. In some embodiments of the present invention, the file may be unzipped or called by accessing the data store. Such user-activated reporting can be used to control, for example, to reduce the overall size of the database.

In some embodiments of the present invention, due to some aspects of protecting the OEM manufacturer’s information, configurability and / or control may include storing or otherwise granting permission to host all data corresponding to a particular OEM manufacturer on a server of that particular OEM manufacturer, and not another suitable one storage and / or data management service provider. In some embodiments, implementation, in accordance with the present invention, depending on the desired level of protection, there may be an excellent or separate high-level access, which further enhances the protection, for example, to integrate and train the OEM manufacturer to protect and manage any and / or all data belonging to OEM specific manufacturer.

In some embodiments of the invention, when a tool manufacturer purchases or otherwise acquires a control device 20, the identification information of the tool manufacturer, such as his company name, can be tracked, and then identifiable information or application information, such as by whom and for which device identifier (ID) the specific monitoring device 20 was purchased. If the monitoring device 20 or and another suitable device of the present invention was determined by the OEM, then in some embodiments of the present invention, the OEM manufacturer’s identification code may become part of the catalog number for the monitoring device 20. In such embodiments, any specific monitoring device 20 contains a unique or different identification (ID) device code, which may be specific to a particular part identification code and / or specific identification code about the code of the tool, which can respectively be provided or provide the ability to create various reports and backups, in comparison with the control device 20, which is purchased through the processing company or the manufacturer of the tools for their own use. In accordance with other embodiments of the present invention, the particular OEM manufacturer to which the monitoring device 20 corresponds can be stored in application information for later integration with any suitable device and / or location, such as CVeMonitor.com.

In some embodiments of the present invention, when a manufacturing facility accesses or connects to a monitoring device 20 or other suitable device or device to access a software package, for example, during the reporting process, the report is sent, transmitted and / or sent in another way, for example sent by email or sent electronically to the email address of, for example, a provider. Email transmissions or other data transmissions can serve as a backup of tool performance data, and can also provide the supplier or other suitable party with the opportunity to offer appropriate services to the OEM manufacturer’s client, such as job consultations, to correct for performance variations associated with with a control device 20 and / or any other part of the tool.

Comparable traditional tracking systems include manual control systems in which the OEM can either access data and / or information via an FTP site, or can be notified of performance deviations.

In some embodiments, in accordance with the present invention, an automated system is configured to provide an authorized user, such as a particular OEM, access to any or all of the stored information. In some embodiments, for each OEM manufacturer, such as a tool room manager and tool room management personnel, administrative rights can be granted or set, which may vary and / or change, to determine the preferred access configuration. For example, one OEM can provide its engineers with full access to each report, while it can also restrict access to anyone outside the OEM company, such as a tool manufacturer and / or manufacturing company. For example, another OEM may prefer that its engineers have access only to specific information about the operation of the OEM tools and do not have access to other tool programs. For example, a tool manufacturer or a tool assembly company may also be granted access to only part of the information, such as tool maintenance information, while other information, such as the tool’s production cycle, is denied access. In certain embodiments, in accordance with the present invention, a particular OEM may provide or provide a manufacturing company with full access to the full amount of information available on that particular tool to which the monitoring device 20 corresponds.

In addition to creating an access configuration based on a large number of preferences, alerts can also be configured or defined by the user. For example, one OEM may be alerted by e-mail or other similar communication method, for example, if a specific tool is not properly serviced at a specific time, and the warning can be copied to the manufacturing company and tool manager. In another embodiment of the present invention, another OEM may request a monthly summary report generated for that particular OEM, and heal a warning sent to the tool manufacturer, manufacturing company, and OEM tool manager.

Although some embodiments of the present invention relate to an OEM that controls sales, in other embodiments, the first contact person with the primary right to information may not be an OEM. For example, in some cases, a tool assembly company or a tool manufacturer may be the decision maker for selling and requesting that its manufacturing company perform maintenance at certain times and also synchronize with software tools or other similar products from the supplier. For example, a US-based tool manufacturer can send two tools to Mexico, and, as part of the tool warranty, request maintenance and synchronization of the monitoring tool 20, as well as accept reports and become the information manager at CVeMonitor.com or another suitable device and / or software. In other embodiments, in accordance with the present invention, there are various scenarios for communicating with the manufacturer, for example, where the OEM has the primary right to information.

In addition to describing the scenario of the OEM / manufacturing company / tool manufacturer, the manufacturing company may from time to time determine the use of this system without a request from the OEM. Among other things, the manufacturing company can also perform the function of creating a tool. In this scenario, the OEM cannot accept information, and instead, various manufacturing / tool manufacturer personnel have access to various groups of information that is appropriate for them.

To date, information has been described as coming from a tool to a toolbar. However, information can be transmitted in another way, namely from the dashboard to a device or control device. This will provide the ability to send new drawings, commissioning cards, and maintenance teams to the monitoring device. In some embodiments of the present invention, such as the embodiment of FIG. 2, bidirectional arrows between a monitoring device 20, a transmitter 32, a base station 30, a cloud 35, a processor 40, and / or a window 55 indicate that communication between any one or more of these elements and / or any other elements of the present invention may be two-way communication, for example, in which data and / or information is transmitted via a wireless and / or wired connection.

In some embodiments of the present invention, reporting intervals, data access, and alert recipients may be configured to suit any particular user preference.

In some embodiments, the reporting may simply be a printed copy of a report, such as a two-page PDF document on the performance and operation of a tool. Additional reports may be developed that summarize, count, or collect data among a plurality of injection molds, for example, to create complex graphs for easy comparison.

In some embodiments of the present invention, reports may be displayed geographically. For example, one request may be “Engineer = Bob Smith, maintenance interval = 10% or more deviation and / or production cycle = 10% deviation”, which can subsequently display the corresponding characters on any suitable card or other similar document that may provide information to assist in calculating when, for example, an individual or technician is required to physically visit a factory or other site.

In some embodiments of a software package in accordance with the present invention, basic maintenance information is provided in a working logbook. For example, these materials or maintenance aspects can be expanded either from CVeMonitor.com or another suitable device or location, or even through a separate related module, such as existing MoldTrax.com.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the company and / or supplier may engage in dialogue with companies that provide process control systems. For example, in some embodiments of the present invention, process control systems may be coupled to a control device 20. This can identify for a process control system which mold is in which injection molding tool and at what time the opposite or in contrast to the current system with manual control, which does not have electronic communication and / or “interaction”. Since many traditional systems need to collect data on tools and / or other equipment, CVeMonitoring.com, or another suitable device, or software package, in accordance with the present invention, can communicate and / or “connect” to the current system or to existing system in some way. For example, in some embodiments of the present invention, in the case where the OEM supply system is controlled by an ERP system, some connection to this system may be beneficial.

In some embodiments, in accordance with the present invention, a company or other vendor may sell sensors that collect information about a manufacturing facility in real time from a tool and therefore function as or constitute a “database section file” or an electronic file within the control device 20, for example, for a tool setup card, as well as for providing the ability to save a tool setup card This can be located on CVeMonitor.com or another device or software product, on a storage device such as a flash memory or other storage device within the monitoring device 20. A company or other supplier can also remotely update setup cards for its the client not only on CVemonitor.com or another device or software product, but also on the device itself. In some embodiments, the implementation of the present invention for a relatively large user base may be beneficial to work with users at the initial stage of development and release, for example, to set a precedent for such promising integrations with other companies.

Initially, it is assumed that a particular company or supplier will have the right to view all the information in the entire database. However, in other embodiments, in accordance with the present invention, OEMs may not provide access to certain secret or specialized aspects of their business, such as parts drawings. In this case, a particular company or supplier may retain access and, therefore, the ability to view a substantial part of the information content about the tool.

In certain embodiments, in accordance with the present invention, certain specific parties may only be entitled to view general information about the operation of a particular OEM. For example, if the seller has signed a contract with an OEM of a vehicle, then he may not have access to the geometric characteristics of specific parts belonging to that OEM. However, in some embodiments, a particular seller may have access and, therefore, receive information about the total number of purchased tools, as well as information about the countries in which purchases were made. This specific information and / or access may not belong to a given website, but may belong to a program that promotes the work of the OEM to satisfy the global distributor and / or network of OEM representatives. In some embodiments of the present invention, additional information may be provided to distributors, for example, in the case where the tool continues to cycle, with basic warnings being transmitted, for example, to prompt the OEM to request and / or receive services from a particular party, such as consulting services for injection tool and / or mold.

In some embodiments, implementation, in accordance with the present invention, there may be different levels of users, for example, in the case where a relatively small company can access the system of the present invention for free and use it for basic needs. However, certain OEM equipment may require a service agreement to regulate existing contracts, training, etc.

In some embodiments of the present invention, in connection with the possibility of developing a user base, regular communication may be carried out, for example, an electronic newsletter may be sent. In addition, a “bulletin board” can be monitored, on which best practices can be demonstrated, for example, on the main screen of the monitoring device 20. In some embodiments of the present invention, since the website is an application that must be constantly displayed or run on their computer , the system of the present invention can provide interactive seminars, for example, with technology partners, and / or upcoming presentations or for announcements.

In some embodiments of the present invention, in the case where announcements are undesirable in a window or on a dashboard, corresponding updates can be given to the technical user base, with preference for a particular party, for example, to form several central points for the production community.

While the foregoing detailed description of the present invention has been described with reference to specific preferred embodiments, while many elements have been presented for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention allows the use of additional embodiments, and also that certain elements described herein may vary significantly without departing from the basic principles of the present invention. Each of the following applications, namely, US patent application No. 13/115,197, which was filed May 25, 2011, US patent application No. 12/818,684, which was filed June 18, 2010, provisional application for US patent No. 61 / 268,957, which was filed June 18, 2009, and provisional application for US patent No. 61/545,394, which was filed October 10, 2011, in their entirety are incorporated into this description by reference.

Claims (36)

1. A method for displaying processed data from a mold, comprising the steps of: position the control device directly on the mold, while the control device specifically matches the mold; the control device records data from the mold; transmit data to a data processor located remotely relative to the monitoring device; a data processor performs data processing to obtain processed data corresponding to the operational parameters of the mold; and the data processor creates a graphical user interface that displays the processed data as the desired result on the graphical user interface located remotely relative to the monitoring device, and the desired result contains at least one of the following: information about the operation of the mold, information about the maintenance of the mold , mold performance, mold operation, mold drawings and / or mold setup information. 2. The method according to p. 1 in which the data is transmitted to the input of the transmitter. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the transmitter outputs data to the base station. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the base station outputs data to a storage unit. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the storage unit is remote equipment. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the processor applies an algorithm, calculation, transformation, summarization, arithmetic and / or mathematical function to the data. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface comprises at least one of the following: a web page window and a software application. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface comprises at least one of the following: a window, a toolbar, a personal computer, a tablet device, and a telephone device. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical user interface transmits at least one of the data and information as output from the graphical user interface. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the data includes information about the tool. 11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data processing further comprises automatically converting the data into a visual representation. 12. The method according to p. 1, in which the desired result is taken over a period of time. 13. A method for displaying processed data from a mold, comprising the steps of: position the control device directly on the mold, while the control device specifically matches the mold; the control device records data from the mold; transmit data to a data processor located remotely relative to the monitoring device; a data processor processes the data to obtain processed data corresponding to the operational parameters of the mold; and the data processor creates a graphical user interface that displays the processed data as the desired result on a graphical user interface located remotely relative to the monitoring device, while the two-way communication device receives the user's response to operating parameters through the graphical user interface, and the data processor automatically transmits a response to control device. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the data is displayed on a graphical user interface. 15. The method according to p. 13, in which the transmitter outputs the data to the base station, which outputs the data to the storage unit. 16. The method of claim 13, wherein the processor applies the algorithm, calculation, transformation, summarization, arithmetic and / or mathematical function to the data. 17. The method of claim 13, wherein the graphical user interface comprises at least one of the following: a window, a toolbar, a personal computer, a tablet device, and a telephone device. 18. The method of claim 13, wherein the graphical user interface transmits at least one of the data and information as an output. 19. The method of claim 13, wherein the data includes mold information. 20. The method according to p. 13, in which the desired result contains at least one of the following: information about the operation of the mold, information about the maintenance of the mold, the productivity of the mold, the functioning of the mold, drawings of the mold and / or mold setup information. 21. A method for displaying processed data from a mold, comprising the steps of: position the control device directly on the mold, while the control device specifically matches the mold; the control device records data from the mold; transmit data to a data processor located remotely relative to the monitoring device; a data processor processes the data to obtain processed data corresponding to the operational parameters of the mold; and the data processor creates a graphical user interface that displays the processed data as the desired result on a graphical user interface located remotely relative to the monitoring device, and the data processing includes automatic conversion of the data into a visual representation, and the visual representation contains a graph of at least one of operational parameters.

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